WHITINGHAM — The injuries a Readsboro woman suffered in a crash Tuesday could easily have been fatal if she had not been wearing a seat belt, according to Sgt. Mike Sorenson of the Vermont State Police.

Kathleen Quinn, 40, of Readsboro, was instead treated and released for contusions, scratches and general soreness at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington, Sorenson said in a press release.

Quinn was driving a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee south on Route 100 at 40 to 45 mph on Tuesday around 6:20 p.m. when she drove over an area of the road that had iced over following a light snow earlier in the day.

According to police, Quinn lost control of the Jeep, which left the west side of the road, struck a large tree, then struck a small tree, which broke and came down on top of the Jeep. Sorenson said the Jeep, came to rest after it struck a large rock adjacent to a stream that runs parallel to Route 100.

“In this instance, the use of seat belts and airbags prevented serious injury to (Quinn). Had she not been seat-belted, she very likely would have sustained severe or even fatal injuries given the dynamics of the crash,” Sorenson said.